BENEFITS OF GOOD MACHINERY ALIGNMENT
Industry worldwide is losing billions of dollars a year due to
misalignment of machinery. The
heart and soul of virtually every industrial operation pivots on
keeping rotating machinery in
good working order. Countless processes are dependent on the
successful operation of
rotating machines that produce electric power, fuels, paper, steel,
glass, pharmaceuticals,
the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the buildings we live and work
in, and the vehicles that
transport us across the surface of the Earth. Just about everything
you see around has
somehow been influenced by rotating machinery of some kind.
The primary objective of accurate alignment is to increase the
operating life span of
rotating machinery. To achieve this goal, machinery components that
are most likely to fail
must operate well within their design limits. As the parts that are
most likely to fail are the
bearings, seals, coupling, and shafts, the accurately aligned
machinery will reduce excessive
axial and radial forces on the bearings to insure longer bearing life
and rotor stability under
dynamic operating conditions. Precise alignment will reduce the
possibility of shaft failure
from cyclic fatigue; it will minimize the amount of wear in the
coupling components, alleviate
the amount of shaft bending from the point of power transmission in
the coupling to the
coupling end bearing, and it will maintain proper internal rotor
clearances.
In a nutshell, accurate alignment will do nothing, but the good things
and the key part of
making this happen centers on the people who are responsible for
installing, troubleshooting,
maintaining, and operating this machinery
Millwright Ron
www.unionmillwright.com

On Mar 27, 11:34*pm, Millwright Ron wrote:
BENEFITS OF GOOD MACHINERY ALIGNMENT
...........
Millwright Ronwww.unionmillwright.com

My sawmill is powered by a 5.5HP gas engine turning a 3/4" extension
shaft through a Lovejoy L095 coupler. The shaft is supported by 2
pillow blocks on a welded frame that didn't turn out exactly right
after milling the tops flat. I shimmed the further block so that the
two shafts aligned to a straightedge, then the nearer block to make
the abutting ends align, but it isn't perfect and the first black
rubber spider tore up, either from angular or radial misalignment or
from heavy starting and stopping shocks before I got the loose-vee-
belt clutch working right.

Now that it's all assembled, how do I recheck alignment of the short
engine shaft to the longer extension without disturbing the coupler
and the pillow blocks? I was thinking of 1-2-3 blocks and a
straightedge, or is there a better way? Audel's "Millrights and
Mechanics Guide" isn't very helpful.

Also, how do you align vee-belt pulleys with cast outside surfaces
that don't run true and are too big to clean up in a lathe?

Jim Wilkins

How about looking at the laser lines for homes. I have a level with a
split cross or line out of the end. That should shoot a nice reference
line and a card (4x5 card or sheet of paper...) can be used to set a reference
and then checked on the far side.

Martin
Martin H. Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
TSRA, Endowed; NRA LOH & Patron Member, Golden Eagle, Patriot's Medal.
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
IHMSA and NRA Metallic Silhouette maker & member.
http://lufkinced.com/


Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Mar 27, 11:34 pm, Millwright Ron wrote:
BENEFITS OF GOOD MACHINERY ALIGNMENT
...........
Millwright Ronwww.unionmillwright.com

My sawmill is powered by a 5.5HP gas engine turning a 3/4" extension
shaft through a Lovejoy L095 coupler. The shaft is supported by 2
pillow blocks on a welded frame that didn't turn out exactly right
after milling the tops flat. I shimmed the further block so that the
two shafts aligned to a straightedge, then the nearer block to make
the abutting ends align, but it isn't perfect and the first black
rubber spider tore up, either from angular or radial misalignment or
from heavy starting and stopping shocks before I got the loose-vee-
belt clutch working right.

Now that it's all assembled, how do I recheck alignment of the short
engine shaft to the longer extension without disturbing the coupler
and the pillow blocks? I was thinking of 1-2-3 blocks and a
straightedge, or is there a better way? Audel's "Millrights and
Mechanics Guide" isn't very helpful.

Also, how do you align vee-belt pulleys with cast outside surfaces
that don't run true and are too big to clean up in a lathe?

Jim Wilkins


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